HOW TO DRINK WINE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1847, 15 April 1887, Page 36

HOW TO DRINK WINE.

Mr Matthew Arnold never made a wiser remark than when he wrote that "Wine used in moderation adds to the agreeableness of life— for adults at any rate— and whatever adds to the agreeableness of life adds to its resources and powers." That is the philosophy of epicurism in a nutshell. Wine, however, should not be taken before work as a stimulus, but only after work, to prevent the brain from morbidly brooding over its problems or troubles, to ensure deep sleep, and to supply the nutritive nerves with extra power. But the most important thing to remember in drinking wine is, after all, that its essence, its soul, lies in the perfume or "bouquet." On this bouquet the commercial and gastronomic values of wines depend almost entirely. Old wines aro, as a rule, the best, because age mellows their tartness, and intensifies the perfume. Tokay is considered the queen of wines, because, while its percentage of alcohol is smaller even than that of Bordeaux and Burgundy wines, it has a rich and most exquisite bouquet, which the art of the chemists is as powerless to reproduce as the fragrance of a wild violet. To know how to drink wine is a thing next in importance. It is an art but little understood by the multitude. Unlike beer, it should always be sipped: and the smaller the quantity taken at a time, the more delicious will be its fragrance. Dealers in genuine wines (rarer, ayes) have a habit of placing brfore an intending purchaser several samples in small classes. If he gulps down the whole glass at once, he will in all probability not get the choicest brands ; for the iL-ahT j istly reasons that would be throwing pearls where they would not be appreciated. Such a drinker is like a tourist who " does " the whole gallery in the time that should be devoted to a single picture. Epicures allow their Chambertin or Leoville to melt on the tongue, as it were, and roll down the throat slowly, all the while enjoying the fragrance by exhaling through the nose (unconsciously). It should be added, however, that in the case of wine, as of fruit, the external odour is also of much importance. Hence, the wider the glass, the larger is the evaporating surface and the more luscious the bouquet. — Contemporary Review.